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period as well as bonus depreciation for the first 10 years following the bill’s passage. In addition, the High-Rise Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (H.R. 4685) would accelerate the depreciation schedule for the retrofit installation of fire sprinklers in commercial and residential high-rises to 15 years from 39 years and 27.5 years respectively. Senator Portman cosponsored S. 803 and a large number of the Ohio House delegation cosponsored H.R. 1869. H.R. 4685, the high-rise sprinkler bill, only has three cosponsors (no one from Ohio), so please ask your representatives to sign on to this bill.
EMS issues
One important development for fire chiefs is that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is in the process
of a four-year effort to collect cost, revenue, and utilization
data from ground ambulance suppliers and providers. CMS
is sampling 25% of all types of ground ambulance agencies (fire-based, third-service, and for-profit) starting this year.
Please check the CMS website (https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/AmbulanceFeeSchedule/ Ground-Ambulance-Services-Data-Collection-System) to see if your agency is responsible for cost-reporting this year. Failure
to report this data will result in a 10% reduction in payments, unless a hardship exemption has been granted. The IAFC support this data collection process. As we are able to better determine
the cost of ambulance service and medical aid provided to
the public, we will be able to use this data to petition for the revision of the Ambulance Fee Schedule to ensure fairer Medicare reimbursement for fire departments.
Firefighter Wellness Issues
The IAFC continues to urge Congress to pass the HERO Act (H.R. 1646). This legislation would address first responder mental wellness issues in a comprehensive manner. It would
create a first responder suicide registry to help researchers identify the causes of critical mental wellness issues; create grants to help nonprofit organizations develop peer mental health counseling programs; and direct USFA to develop educational materials for mental health providers about stressors that are unique to firefighters and EMS personnel. On January 28, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Senate companion bill, S. 3244. Please contact your representatives and senators and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 1646 and S. 3244, respectively.
Surface Transportation Legislation
The House and Senate are expected to consider surface transportation legislation this year. The Senate is working on legislation to authorize existing surface transportation programs. The House Democrats have released the framework for a
5-year, $760 billion infrastructure bill. The bill would include authorization for roads and bridges; funding to detect and clean up PFAS in groundwater; and even funding for the deployment of Next Generation 911. The IAFC is advocating for programs to help rural communities plan for the transportation of hazardous materials across the nation’s rails and highways, especially in rural areas. We also are asking Congress to consider programs to help local communities prepare for the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles in local jurisdictions.
As the spring approaches, Congress has an important list
of bills to pass, including the FY 2021 appropriations. The National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 30 presents a great opportunity for fire chiefs to meet with their Senators and Representatives in D.C. and emphasize the importance of programs like the USFA and AFG and SAFER grant programs. Also, you can contact your members of Congress electronically using the IAFC’s Legislative Action Center: https://www.iafc.org/topics-and-tools/legislative-issues/ action-center. Also, you can get up–to-date on legislative issues on the IAFC website (www.iafc.org); the IAFC Facebook page; and the IAFC Twitter site (@IAFC).
APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2020 • www.ohiofirechiefs.org I n C o m m a n d 17